in, and carry the whole coast in
a campaign, and no one would ever interfere to disturb us. Why should
they? The Turks could not, and the natives of Fran-guestan would not.
Leave me to manage them. There is nothing in the world I so revel in as
hocus-sing Guizot and Aberdeen. You never heard of Guizot and Aberdeen?
They are the two Reis Effendis of the King of the French and the Queen
of the English. I sent them an archbishop last year, one of my fellows,
Archbishop Murad, who led them a pretty dance. They nearly made me King
of the Lebanon, to put an end to disturbances which never existed except
in the venerable Murad's representations.'

'These are strange things! Has she charms, this Jewess? Very beautiful,
I suppose?'

'The Englishman vows so; he is always raving of her; talks of her in his
sleep.'

'As you say, it would indeed be strange to draw our sabres for a Jewess.
Is she dark or fair?'

'I think, when he writes verses to her, he always calls her a moon or a
star; that smacks nocturnal and somewhat sombre.'

'I detest the Jews; but I have heard their women are beautiful.'

'We will banish them all from our kingdom of Syria,' said Fakredeen,
looking at Astarte earnestly.

'Why, if we are to make a struggle, it should be for something. There
have been Syrian kingdoms.'

'And shall be, beauteous Queen, and you shall rule them. I believe now
the dream of my life will be realised.'

'Why, what's that?'

'My mother's last aspiration, the dying legacy of her passionate soul,
known only to me, and never breathed to human being until this moment.'

'Then you recollect your mother?'

'It was my nurse, long since dead, who was the depositary of the
injunction, and in due time conveyed it to me.'

'And what was it?'

'To raise, at Deir el Kamar, the capital of our district, a marble
temple to the Syrian goddess.'

'Beautiful idea!'

'It would have drawn back the mountain to the ancient faith; the Druses
are half-prepared, and wait only my word.'

'But the Nazareny bishops,' said the Queen, 'whom you find so useful,
what will they say?'

'What did the priests and priestesses of the Syrian goddess say, when
Syria became Christian? They turned into bishops and nuns. Let them turn
back again.'

CHAPTER LV.

_Capture of a Harem_

TANCRED and Fakredeen had been absent from Gindarics for two or three
days, making an excursion in the neighbouring districts, and visiting
several of those c